Mouth harp



NOV. 7, 1933. ESCALANTE 1,933,721

MOUTH HARP Filed Nov. 6, 1931 Fig. 2.

Limo $1 5 Lulu/Ava INVENTOR M M A TTO/(NEY Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITEDSTATESPATENT 1 oFFica MOUTH HARP Maximo Escalante, Summit, N. J.Application November 6, 1931. Serial No. 573,337 6 Claims. (01. 84-475)This invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly tothose adapted to be played with the mouth.

Generically speaking this invention may be ,5 categoried with the Jewsharp. The inventive concepts comprise vibrating the air with a tongueformed of spring material having air spaces on either side separatingthis tongue from two ad jacent side portions between which and in aplane at right angles to the plane through which, this tongue vibrates,simultaneously blowing or sucking air across this tongue with theaforesaid side portions in engagement'with the lips, a handle at oneend, and an extension for striking to cause the tongue to vibrate at theother end,

all of said parts extending along the same gener a1 line and formed of asingle unitary piece'of spring material.

The objects of the invention, among others, are: first, to provide amouth harp having welland strong tonal qualities; second, to provide insuch a device an improved vibrating means; third, to provide in a deviceimroved means for vibrating the aforesaid vibrating means; fourth, toprovide such a device all of which extends longitudinally along onegeneral line so that the instrument ,is easily placed in the vestpocket; fifth, to provide such a device in one single unitary piece or"elastic material;

' construction and low manufacturing cost. Other objects will appear asthe description proceeds.

In so far as the applicant is aware all of the existing mouth harps havea vibrating tongue to the end of which is attached a right-angled armadapted to be struck by the finger and pro jecting from the free end ofthe tongue. This invention however contemplates having an arm orextension in the same longitudinal direction as the vibrating tongue andsupported on a more rigid separating element which supports thevibrating tongue on one side and the arm or extension on the other.Moreover the vibrating tongue is not of the same thickness throughoutbut is thinner towards the rigid element thereby providing aconstruction that gives a rich full tone. I

Reference is made to the drawing for an illustration of one embodimentof the invention,

in which Fig. 1 is a plan View,

Fig. 2 is a side view, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts and sixth, to provide insuch a device simple throughout the drawing in which the vibratingelement or tongue 1 is of long, narrow formation with the sides parallelto each other. In thickness however the end 2 of the vibrating element 1is thicker than the end 3. This general relationship endures-althoughvariations may be made in the thickness of the tongue .1 tovary thepitch or tone of the mouth harp. The side supports 4 and 5 are of thesame size and form as the tongue 1 and are separated. therefromby an airspace 6 which also extends around the end 2 and is of the. same sizethroughout. As seen in Fig. 2 in the quiescent position the top and thebottom of the tongue 1 are coextensive geometrically with the top andbottom of the supports 4 and o. The end 3 of the tongue 1 and the sidesupports 4' and 5. are joined to and are integral with the heavy,piece'or block 7 which has joined thereto and formed integrallytherewith an extension or arm 8 diametrically opposed to the tongue 1and tapered inwardly on both sides toward the end 9 which is round inform to prevent scratching of the striking finger thereon. As seen inFig. 2 the lower surface of the arm 8 is in substantially the same planeas the corresponding surface of the tongue 1, but the upper surface fromthe edge of the block 7 is inclined towards the rounded end 9. At theopposite ends the side supports 1} and 5 are integral with the handleportion 10 which is preferably of the same width and thickness as theblock '7. The pitch or tone can be varied in manufacture by varying thethickness of the ends 2 and 3 of the vibrating tongue 1, and also byincreasing or decreasing the length of the tongue 1, and of course ofthe adjacent supports 4 and 5. It is obvious that all of the partsextend along one general line so that the article like a pencil may beeasily placed in the vest pocket. The construction is in a singleintegral unit formed of elastic or vibrating material such as springmetal. The operation of this mouth harp is as follows: The instrument isheld by the handle 10 in one hand, with the lips against the sidesupports 4 and 5 but free from contact with the vibrating tongue 1. Airis blown from the mouth through. the lips across the tongue 1 or issucked in. The force in blowing or in sucking air determines theloudness of the tone, while rhythm or beat is produced by striking theend 9 with the finger of the other hand. The quality and quantity oftone produced is rich and full.

Having now disclosed one embodiment of my invention, and realizing thatin view of this disclosure many changes in detail of form or ofstructure within the scope of my invention may readily be made, I do notchoose to limit myself except as in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A mouth harp formed of spring material from one continuous piececomprising in combination, a long narrow vibrating element mountedbetween two resilient side supports with air spaces on three sidesthereof, a heavier portion, said element and said supports being mountedon and extending in one direction from said heavier portion, and anextension mounted on and extending from said heavier portion in theopposite direction and adapted to be struck with the finger.

2. A mouth harp formed of spring material from one continuous piececomprising in combination, a long narrow vibrating element mountedbetween two resilient side supports with air spaces on three sidesthereof, a heavier portion, said element and said supports being mountedon and extending in one direction from said heavier portion, and anextension mounted on and extending from said heavier portion in theopposite direction and having an enlarged portion on the end thereofadapted to be struck with the finger.

3. A mouth harp formed of spring material from one continuous piececomprising in combination, a long narrow vibrating element mountedbetween two resilient side supports with air spaces on three sidesthereof, a heavier portion, said element and said supports being mountedon and extending in one direction from said heavier portion, and anextension mounted on and extending from said heavier portion in theopposite direction, said element being thinner adjacent the heavierportion and said extension being tapered toward the end.

4. A month harp formed of spring material from one continuous piececomprising in combination a long narrow vibrating element mountedbetween two resilient side supports and with air space on three sidesthereof, a heavier por tion, all three extending in the same directionfrom said heavier portion, all three being thinner adjacent said heavierportion, and an extension in the opposite direction from said heavierportion adapted to be struck with the finger.

5. A mouth harp formed of spring material from one continuous piececomprising in combination a long narrow vibrating element mountedbetween two resilient side supports and with air space on three sidesthereof, a heavier portion, all three extending in the same directionfromsaid heavier portion, all three being thinner adjacent said heavierportion, the surfaces of the top and bottom of all three in thequiescent position of the vibrating element lying in the same planesrespectively, and an extension from the opposite direction integral withsaid heavier portion.

6. A mouth harp formed of spring material from one continuous piececomprising in combination a long narrow vibrating element mountedbetween two resilient side supports and with air spaces on three sidesthereof, a heavier portion, all three extending in the same directionfrom said heavier portion, all three being thinner adjacent the heavierportion, all three being of the same width, the surfaces of the top andbottom of all three in the quiescent position of the vibrating elementlying in the same planes respectively, and an extension from theopposite direction integral with said heavier portion.

MAXIMO ESCALANTE.

